The Denver Nuggets completed a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers to win the Western Conference and secure a spot in the 2023 NBA Finals.
The Nuggets are four more wins away from winning their first NBA championship and are eagerly awaiting the winner of the Eastern Conference finals. The Miami Heat currently have a 3-1 lead against the Boston Celtics heading into Game 5 Thursday night in Boston.
In Game 4 of the Western Conference finals at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the Nuggets erased a 15-point deficit to win 113-111. The Nuggets withstood a 40-point performance from banged-up superstar LeBron James, who missed a final shot to send the game into overtime. James was so crushed about the sweep that he mulled retirement during the post-game press conference.
The Nuggets are the longest-standing franchise that had never reached the NBA Finals. The former ABA team entered the NBA in 1976. It took the Nuggets 46 seasons before they qualified for their first visit to the NBA Finals.